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Friday, February 14, 2014

Review: A Million Little Snowflakes

Oliver Hurst has always been abnormally normal.

His
grades are horrible, his best friend just left for Utah, and he's
depressed. His overly religious parents don’t help, especially since
they control every facet of his life. One stupid sentence said in
desperation gets Oliver tossed in an adolescent psych ward, where his
depression and fears become even more of a reality.

When Oliver
meets snide, tough girl Lacey Waters he doesn't think his life could get
any better, that is, until she becomes the ray of sunshine he has
desperately needed on his cloudiest of days.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley via the author in exchange for a honest review. This does not affect my review/opinions in any way. Thank you!

I wasn't sure at first what to think about this book; but I came to fall in love with it. It perfectly reflects being depressed in modern society and everything that comes with it; along with a stunning romance and distinct characters.
The thing that pulled me in right at the beginning was the protagonist's (Oliver's) character was clear straight away - a very blunt, and evidently depressed. He stated straight away; I'm depressed, but I'm not a stereotype, so get over it. He was foregrounded with a history right at the beginning, too, so I could understand him more.

"I might as well have been Voldemort, for

my name was never spoken."

A Million Little Snowflakes didn't have much action. And it didn't need it! It had romance, description, emotion. It's about a dispirited boy who goes into hospital for it... But, yet, it wasn't a depressing read. And I absolutely LOVED that about it. I mean, it's good if a book makes you feel the same way as the characters, but in this, it didn't, it made it all the better.

"I walked into a stereotypical sight..."

I obviously won't share any spoilers, but the ending. Heart-breaking, tear-jerking... but it worked absolutely perfectly with the storyline.

My only thought was that it was a little stereotypical in places, not in the depression, more in the romantic element. The relationship was captivating; but some of the descriptions did come across as a little cliche.

"...smiled, her hands starting to get clammy

as you could almost see the butterflies fluttering out of her

mouth and into the stale hospital air."

It was full of beauty and intrigue, detail and relationships. It riveted me; overall, even if it was a little cliche, this was an extremely powerful read.